The Price of Loyalty
by NoRatCat
Summary: Sometimes it doens't pay to be too loyal. The jester minion finds this out the hard way after the events of Raising Hell. One shot.


Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord those rights belong to Codemasters.

**The Price of Loyalty**

The rain splattered against his leathery skin. It was a downpour as the storm raged throughout the countryside. A crash of thunder drummed signaling a flash of lightning.

He stumbled slipping under the mud. The minion felt himself tumble down. Groaning he tried to pick himself up. A pain coursed through his ankle. Just a minor sprain, if need be he would limp away. Not that it would last long, his kind were very durable. Inches away he could see his jester scepter and hat. It wouldn't do to escape without those items. Positioning it against his head and taking the other in his hand, he was ready to leave. So far, he had made it to the outskirts of the village of Spree. There was no time to stop.

"_SQUISH_" The sound was loud. Looking up the jester widened his eyes in fear. They found him and they pounced.

His fellow minions pounced. They beat him tossing him into the mud. He felt dazed as their savagery commenced. Savagery escaped him. He was one of the more articulate of his kind. The others mindless thralls obeying the will of their master.

He tried to protect himself but he felt his arms pulled away. Another bash on the head blurred his eyes and mind. He could make out the scenery just barely. All he could sense was himself being dragged followed by a bluish glow, the glow of a tower gate.

---

Cold hard stone was the next thing he felt. Everything else was still a blur.

"Rub some acid on his eyes!" He heard the aged familiar voice order.

Suddenly a burning flared his corneas. It was short as soon the air cooled. Everything was starting to clear. The first thing that greeted him was the throne ahead; statues lined the path glaring down menacingly. His eyes scanned for escape but he found none, many of his kind barred the passages.

"Did you really think you could get away Quilt?" Out from behind the empty throne a shape came into view. Clad in a cloak with skin grayed from age discerning what race of minion he truly was. A claw stroked against the thin wispy beard that hung from his chin. Gnarl the minion master and leader whilst the position of Overlord was absent.

"Gnarl." The jester cowered a few steps.

The aged minion grinned sadistically at the fright. "Frankly I applaud your effort but." Gnarl waved his hand searching for a fitting phrase. "Fruitless really. After all no crime goes unpunished as the saying goes." Gnarl hated using such a "heroic" term for a creature of his evil disposition.

"Crime!?" The jester retorted. "I was following orders you're the traitors!" He pointed an accusing claw at his superior.

Gnarl placed his own upon his chest. "Traitor?"

The jester waved his claw around the room making sure to get everyone within accusation. "All of you disobeyed the master! I was the only one who remained loyal!"

This only amused Gnarl further. "Now which master are you referring to?" Asked Gnarl. "Because the last master I remember you betrayed leaving him in that wretched abyss."

The jester Quilt gulped.

"Next time Quilt when you perform a ritual try to do it properly. Too much magic residue." Chided Gnarl.

Almost, Quilt laughed. "Him? I'm not talking about that pretender, I mean the preceding Overlord our true master!"

Ah yes, Gnarl remembered. Oh, that Overlord was one of true evil example. His reign lasted for years. That is until eight heroes strode by and did him in. But a backup plan one of cunning would bring about his return. Simple really, steal the body of one hero then corrupt the others, then there left the eight one who fell from the tower. Part two: nurse him from death doors and turn him into a replacement Overlord. Then as a final act kill him and reclaim the lands. Yet that backfired as said replacement killed his predecessor and conquered the lands.

"Quilt I am certain you are aware of the minion code." Gnarl began. "And that code is to obey whoever wears the mantle of Overlord. I'm afraid you broke that code and must be punished."

Quilt didn't back away. From the darkness, he could see them coming, Minions. Browns, reds, greens, and blues, every kind rushed from the chambers to view.

"Are you going to kill me Gnarl?" Quilt asked. keeping care to hide the tremble in his voice.

"Yes pretty much." Gnarl admitted. "There are so many ways to execute someone, impaling, burning, gouging, dropping you down a rocky gorge the possibilities are endless." Gnarl rubbed his fingers as he went over the list. "But I had a much more painful one." Gnarl waved his hand uttering some words under his breath.

Out of the air a portal rose, red and shining. A small figure came out. "What do you want Gnarl?" A voice asked. Its tone was slightly garbled, the indication of a blue minion. Except this, one was dressed in a grim reaper cloak complete with a scythe.

"Ah Mortis how good to see you." Gnarl greeted pointing to Quilt.

Mortis looked at the brown jester curiously but he seemed to understand. "Traitor?" He asked.

Gnarl nodded. "Yes, helped trap the new master in an Infernal Abyss."

"Ah!" Mortis replied. Taking his scythe, he ran it across the ground. Quilt watched as a glow lit up the formed car. The scar opened up into vast portal. Suddenly Quilt felt his arms and legs restricted as several minions grabbed him bringing him to the magic formation. Below he could see it, a vast fiery expanse.

"You were a good jester Quilt but I'm afraid this must be done." Gnarl said almost with lament. "As you know when a minion dies their souls are brought to the river of death where Mortis watches over them. Yet occasionally we get a few turncoats such as you, they don't share the same privilege."

Just then, a scream erupted from the portal. "Can you hear them?" Gnarl perked his ear to get better listen. Quilt found himself drawn to the noise, torture enjoyment was one of the qualities in a minion. "They are cast in here where their spirits writher in agony." Gnarl glared up with an evil glee.

"Enjoy eternal damnation Quilt."

More minions appeared taking away his cap and scepter. Quilt tried to reach for them but his attention shifted to the hell that was before him.

"No please Gnarl!" Quilt begged. With a hoist and a heave, it was too late.

"Bye Bye!" He heard one of the minions yell followed by Gnarls laughter. That was the last thing he heard before the portal closed.

---

Fire surrounded him on all sides. The flames didn't' touch him but he could feel their burn. Quilt felt naked without his jester garb. It was his identity, his role.

"That's mine!" He heard a voice to his side.

Out of the flames came a minion claw, however fire encircled it perfectly merging. Another came forth followed by a cry of "Mine!"

At last Quilt felt the burn. They pressed and pulled against his skin. Several more grabbed his legs. Their screams called throughout the flames and soon his joined them. His body finally pulled apart from the strain, his body exploding into a brownish glow, the price of retaining old loyalty. Sometimes life could bite you in the ass. As Gnarl would say

"Evil always finds a way."

A/N: Okay my next attempt at a one shot, this time with the Overlord series. I have never played Overlord: Raising Hell but I always wondered what happened to the old jester minion. I am pretty certain the jester Quaver from Overlord 2 is not the same jester. Oh and I gave teh jester my own name sicne he was unamed in the original game. Well this was my attempt at his fate. I certainly hope you enjoyed and that I kept in the Overlord spirit. Here's hoping for an Overlord 3 in the future!


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